Mantis Shrimp Seems Docile and Not Smashing

[schonerz]

Hey all! I posted awhile back about my beautiful peacock not smashing hermit crabs or turbo snails in tank.

After a few suggestions I bought a crayfish to see if it would be big enough for it to smash and eat but it didn't seem to workout and almost seemed like mantis was losing the battle so I pulled it out. I went to a local seafood store and bought clams and it seemed to not have any interest in and only tried to grab it and not smash.

Does anyone seem to have any suggestions on how to encourage killing it's own food? Thank you in advance!

 

[Tamberav]

How long have you had it? How big is it?

Possible its smasher is damaged somehow and it needs to molt? Sometimes it can take multple molts to repair an appendage or perhaps it is getting ready to molt and simply not interested?

 

[schonerz]

How long have you had it? How big is it?

Possible its smasher is damaged somehow and it needs to molt? or perhaps it is getting ready to molt and simply not interested?

I would say I've had it for about three months now

That's very possible, I see it every once in awhile swimming out of it's burrow swimming to the top a few times and then goes back into it's nest, is this concerning behavior?

 

[slythy]

The damaged smasher seems possible. Is he eating anything else? Seems like you might want to try feeding frozen or something that they dont need to kill.


A small chance but all animals have different personalities. My main tank has a large black piranha that has never shown any aggression at all. I could easily move him with my hand if I wanted. Most people regard the black piranha as one of the most ferocious or angry fish and mine just sits and waits for pellets haha. Maybe like me you got a pacifist haha

 

[blaxsun]

My main tank has a large black piranha that has never shown any aggression at all. I could easily move him with my hand if I wanted.

I wouldn’t necessarily put that to the test.

 

[slythy]

I wouldn’t necessarily put that to the test.

Haha i havent but its a high tech planted tank so my hands in there all the time with planting/trimming.
I do push him out of the way with the gravel vac no anger! Hes around 11-12”

 

[blaxsun]

Haha i havent but its a high tech planted tank so my hands in there all the time with planting/trimming.
I do push him out of the way with the gravel vac no anger! Hes around 11-12”

As long as you keep him well fed!

 

[KevinC]

Haha i havent but its a high tech planted tank so my hands in there all the time with planting/trimming.
I do push him out of the way with the gravel vac no anger! Hes around 11-12”

Pic please! Always want to see a piranha

 

[Steve and his Animals]

We've had plenty of peacock mantis come through my store, and some of them are like what you describe, refusing to smash, while others flick whenever someone puts a net in the tank. Could be personality, or they could already know if the food is dead, or their smashers are damaged like others have said.

 

[nmotz]

Maybe give it a molt too… you’d be surprised but sometimes they completely change temperament after a molt. But it is true that like for any animal, Peacocks are surprisingly diverse in their personalities. I’ve had three including the one I now own, and none have been necessarily hot-tempered although they were all eventually aggressive towards a variety of prey. My second was very small when I first got her and she became much more aggressive over time. I had two ornamental shrimp in the tank that she shied away from for 6 months. She eventually killed them both. I tried to let her fend for herself as much as possible. She loved live brine shrimp, but of course that doesn’t require smashing. She also loved emerald crabs so I’d recommend trying that next.

 

[schonerz]

I've also noticed that when it peeks out of it's nest it's hanging it's smashers, is that normal?

 

[schonerz]

Mananged to get a video the mantis. I did notice this time those marks on the back, is that concerning and could be why it's acting abnormal? Is that shell rot?

 

[slythy]

That spot is a bit concerning, what lights do you have on there? Seems like super bright light can cause some rot. Keep up on water changes and keep it well fed.

 

[schonerz]

I actually don't have any lighting on the tank. I was advised to not use lighting as it can encourage shell rot but I must still be doing something wrong lol

 

[schonerz]

That spot is a bit concerning, what lights do you have on there? Seems like super bright light can cause some rot. Keep up on water changes and keep it well fed.

** forgot to hit reply**

I actually don't have any lighting on the tank. I was advised to not use lighting as it can encourage shell rot but I must still be doing something wrong lol

 

[slythy]

I actually don't have any lighting on the tank. I was advised to not use lighting as it can encourage shell rot but I must still be doing something wrong lol

How are all your parameters? Stay on top of it and should get better after a few molts

 

[schonerz]

How are all your parameters? Stay on top of it and should get better after a few molts

Paramaters have been withing normal limits and will do, thank you for your replies!

 

[Hadla]

It’s very sad and frustrating but I’ve noticed more and more peacocks in stores without their smashers… it seems some collectors are breaking them off to avoid getting punched :mad: then unsuspecting people wonder why they won’t see or hear them smashing… I’ve been hit a few times and it’s not nearly as bad as the myths claim. Just temporary numbness for a few seconds.

 

[Tamberav]

I can not see the video.

Shell rot is sometimes found even in the wild and not completely understood. More so on large adults since they molt less often.

I would be feeding something better than frozen shrimp. LRS is good stuff, just give it to them still frozen. It is messy though.

 

[ChandlerTingle]

It’s very sad and frustrating but I’ve noticed more and more peacocks in stores without their smashers… it seems some collectors are breaking them off to avoid getting punched :mad: then unsuspecting people wonder why they won’t see or hear them smashing… I’ve been hit a few times and it’s not nearly as bad as the myths claim. Just temporary numbness for a few seconds.

Yeah mine is the same way. Got into argument with my LFS saying it had its smashers when it clearly didn’t have them on